Ivory Tiles
by burgerheadjones
Summary: His fingers flew over the ivory tiles, playing a tune so resonant it broke their hearts. He was completely immersed in his music, oblivious to the wide-eyed stares of his friends. One-shot where Percy is a piano prodigy. Based on a headcannon on Tumblr. Review are welcome :)


Until he was five, Percy ignored the piano in the corner. It wasn't blue, so he paid no attention to it. It had been there for as long as he remembered, and he knew his mom played, but she hadn't touched it in a while, because of Gabe. It was tucked into the corner, and he overlooked it easily.

He had no reason to.

He tried it out when they were spring-cleaning. He sat on it and awkwardly banged the keys, making Sally cringe. Paying no heed to her, Percy continued his racket.

"You can make it sound so nice, Percy. Wanna learn?"

Percy made a face. "I don't wanna."

"Come one, try one song. Here, I'll teach you." With reluctance, he scooted over and made space for his mom.

She proceeded to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' with fingers that simply flew. She had captured Percy's interest now, and with clunky, chubby fingers, he spent an hour with her trying to learn the song. And when he was finally successful, Sally beamed in pride.

After that, Percy was hooked on. He kept asking Sally to teach him songs. Everyday after kindergarten, he'd eagerly sit at the piano and make puppy eyes at his mom.

After two months, he had made serious progress. His fingers weren't as awkward, and he felt comfortable at the piano.

It was around this time when he decided to compose his first song for his mom. He sat at the piano for hours, and sure, it was kind of a rip-off of 'Row, row, row your boat', but Sally was ecstatic.

By the time he was seven, he was pretty good. Sally had managed to buy second-hand piano books. He felt at home at the piano, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. He could only play when Gabe was out playing poker with his pals. Gabe despised the piano, and thought it sounded like a dying whale. He almost threw it out once, but only stopped himself because Sally pleaded with him not to.

Sometimes at night, after making sure Gabe was asleep, he'd try to play really quietly.

Until he was caught.

All his school teachers had noticed that Percy had difficulty reading, and couldn't keep still. They'd talked to Sally, and recommended a psychologist. Against his wishes, he was dragged into said psychologist's office. Dr. Sanchez asked him a thousand questions, flashed flashlights into his eyes and basically, annoyed him.

He was then diagnosed with dyslexia _and_ ADHD, and was offered treatment. Sally refused, because she knew Percy would need the ADHD later, and could read Ancient Greek.

All Percy's classmates taunted and teased him, and he was severely bullied by Gabe, too. As a result, Percy found himself sitting at the piano late at night, and let out all his frustration and anger. He struck the keys furiously, momentarily forgetting that his stepfather was asleep.

Gabe had woken up at the fierce music, and lost his cool. Stomping into the room, he striked Percy across the face, leaving a bruise that lasted for weeks.

He gave Sally an ultimatum- either Percy went, or the piano. Of course Sally chose the piano, and it was gone the next day.

He didn't play for two years after that.

When he was sent to boarding school because Gabe wanted him out, he spent the first few months alone and friend-less. No one would talk to him because he was 'weird'. He would just attend classes, eat, sleep and fidget with things.

Until he happened to stumble upon the upright piano in the corner of the school storage room. It was slightly out-of-tune and certainly dusty, but he was drawn to it.

He sat on the dusty, cracked leather seat and played a few tunes he remembered. And that was enough.

His visited the piano every day, after his lessons and before dinner. Nobody really noticed.

He had brought his piano books with him to boarding school, and in those two years, he became a prodigy.

No one knew of his talent, though. He kept it a well guarded secret, and not even his mom knew.

In all his other schools, he stopped playing, because he could never find a piano.

Nearly 8 years later, Percy played again. It was the first Christmas Eve since the war against Gaea and Percy was still scarred from Tartarus. He still had frequent nightmares, and they were so vivid and real. He had to go check up on all his friends after particularly bad ones, just to reassure himself.

The seven, along with Nico and Reyna, sat in Sally and Paul's apartment. After ditching Gabe and marrying Paul, she had bought a new piano. It was where Percy found himself sitting, after he scooted over to make space for the others.

Losing track of the conversation, and turned towards the piano and tenderly hit a key. C sharp.

The euphoria hit him. He missed this so much. Completely engrossed, he played Yiruma's 'River Flows in You'. He immersed himself in the piece, and was oblivious to the fact that conversation had ceased.

Everyone listened to Percy play, eyes wide. They had absolutely no clue Percy could play.

When he finished, he looked up to meet the utterly surprised faces of his friends. His eyes widened as well.

"That was beautiful." Annabeth said, a small smile on her face. "I had no clue you played, Percy!"

Percy was at a loss of words.

His mom, who was listening from the kitchen, showed up at the doorway, and made her way to Percy. She enveloped him in a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, Percy."

Percy's face was as red as a tomato. He wasn't used to this, and would never be.

Now that his secret was out in the open, he was asked to play at least fifty pieces everyday for his friends. They found it incredible how Percy had hidden his talent for so long.

In the process, Percy could practise a lot more, and cherished that in-describable feeling he got when his fingers bounced off the ivory tiles.

He discovered that playing helped deal with his nightmares. At camp, the Big House had a piano in one of the rooms, every time Percy woke up covered in cold sweat, he made his way to it.

It was as if the piano constantly beckoned to him, offering him the soothing embrace of music.

His playing always, _always_ reflected his mood. When he was in high spirits, he'd play a composition that made everyone around him cheerful. When he was angry, anyone within fifty feet of the piano could, and would sense the anger emanating from the music.

When he was hurting from Tartarus, he'd play a tune so resonant it would break someone's heart. _The piano was his coping mechanism._

Soon, his nightmares reduced a great deal. They never completely disappeared, of course. He still woke up in cold sweat at two in the morning because his head conjured up false memories of Annabeth or his mom dying. He still recalled almost losing control with Nyx. Sometimes he just woke up because the guilt for leaving Bob behind was too much to bear.

But each time, he tuned out all his burdens and accepted the encompassing beckon of his piano, playing with a finesse that was hard to match.

 _Music softened the pain, increases the joy and opens the heart._

 **So that's it. :)**

 **Reviews are welcome!**

 **~UrbanBookworm~**


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